Report: LGBTQ+ protections improved greatly under Biden compared to Trump

July 19 (UPI) -- The Human Rights Campaign on Friday released a report that detailed the "stark contrast" in federal LGBTQ+ protections under President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump .

The report details the effects both presidents had on federal agencies during their presidencies and how those decisions affected LGBTQ+ people.

For example, agencies under Trump lifted many regulations that affirmed legal protections for LGBTQ+ people and stopped accepting civil rights complaints based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Comparatively, under the Biden administration, many agencies worked to uphold the Supreme Court 's ruling that LGBTQ+ people are protected from discrimination under the same rules that prohibit discrimination based on sex.

"The analysis makes clear what we have seen across the country," Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement . "Actions have consequences. Time and again, the Trump administration ushered in policies and positions that did damage to LGBTQ+ lives.

"Meanwhile, in their first term, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken steps to make our lives better. Federal agencies take actions that impact nearly every aspect of our lives. And Americans deserve a government that steps up to defend freedom and equality for all."

The report also analyzed federal policies around data collection, promoting inclusive policies and providing services and resources to LGBTQ+ people.

Agencies under Trump worked to stop data collection on LGBTQ+ people, which the HRC said is vital to ensuring housing providers, schools, employers and other entities are complying with civil-rights laws.

The Biden administration, however, tasked agencies with renewing questions relevant to LGBTQ+ people on surveys and forms and to begin researching ways to better include them in federal data collection.

Trump's administrative appointees eliminated existing references to LGBTQ+ people in their agencies' nondiscrimination policies and also failed to fill positions meant to advocate for LGBTQ+ equity.

Biden's appointees then worked to restore references to LGBTQ+ people in nondiscrimination policies and filled several government positions intended to advocate for them.

The report noted areas the Biden administration could have done better and expressed hope that a second Biden term would continue to bolster LGBTQ+ protections.

While agencies under the Biden administration reopened access to many government-funded programs that excluded LGBTQ+ people under the Trump administration, certain federal resources, such as access to HIV prevention medication and gender-affirming care for transgender veterans, remain out of reach.

"As we approach this inflection point in our history, it is critical that voters understand the vastly different ways in which a second Biden or Trump Administration could affect the lives and well-being of LGBTQ+ people," the report stated.